A kind-hearted teenager is celebrating the success of his charity fundraising efforts after smashing the target he set for a children’s ward close to his heart.

Darryl Mather vowed to raise £3,000 for Children’s Ward 21 at James Cook University Hospital before his next birthday as a thank you for the care he has received there in the past 10 years.

But the 17-year-old has managed to go above and beyond that - raising £3,700 through the numerous fundraising events he organised.

“I am so pleased,” said Darryl, from Grove Hill.

“It is amazing and I can’t thank people enough for helping me get there.”

Darryl suffers from primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) - a rare genetic disorder which means he has to spend at least eight weeks a year in hospital.

PCD affects tiny, hairlike structures that line the airways and causes bacteria to remain - leading to breathing problems, infections and other disorders. Darryl’s mum and dad, Debbie and Andrew, were unaware they are both carriers of the PCD gene.

The couple have eight other children and Tyler, nine, also suffers from the condition.

“Since I was diagnosed I have been going in and out of hospital for treatment; I go to James Cook every three months for two weeks at a time. I am also on medication 365 days a year,” said Darryl.

“When I turn 18 in November I will go to adults’ wards to be treated so I felt that I wanted to do something for the children’s ward before that happens. I would like the money to be spent on things for the kids to cheer them up and give them plenty to do because I know what it is like.”

“This money is really going to help them out,” he added.

Darryl’s fundraisers have included a sponsored walk, a football tournament, bag packs and a charity night at the Priory Social Club on Marton Road.